0:12Skip to 0 minutes and 12 secondsWelcome to the ECG Assessment, an Introduction for Health Care Providers course. This two-week interactive programme is intended to enhance your knowledge and understanding of ECGs and support the further hands-on training you will need to become competent to record an ECG in your practice area. The ECG is an important diagnostic tool for assessing people with known or suspected heart disease. It is frequently used in a variety of settings, because it is quick and noninvasive. However, training and experience is essential to ensure that errors aren't made which can potentially lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate patient care.

0:55Skip to 0 minutes and 55 secondsIn this first week of the course, we will start to explore the electrical activity of the heart, and we'll also look at how and why an ECG is performed, focusing in detail on each step of the process. Later on in week two, we'll focus on some of the problems you may face in obtaining a high-quality recording and how you can address these. We will also look in more detail at the heart's normal electrical activity, known as sinus rhythm, and how to recognise normal and abnormal rhythms on the ECG. I hope you enjoy the programme.

Welcome to Week 1

Welcome to ECG Assessment: an Introduction for Healthcare Providers from St George’s University of London. This course has been created in associated with Kingston University and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Our course lead educator, Jo Gregory, Associate Professor for Undergraduate Workforce Development, introduces the course and explains what you’ll be studying during the first week.

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for a range of existing healthcare providers, including qualified and student nurses, paramedics and support workers. If you are not a healthcare professional, you are still welcome to participate and contribute to the discussion activities.

This week

In this first week of the course, we are going to concentrate on exploring the electrical activity of the heart and the steps involved in recording an ECG. By the end of this week, you should be able to:

Explain the heart’s normal electrical activity and the meaning of the term ‘sinus rhythm’.

Describe an ECG and what it measures.

Discuss the reasons for recording an ECG.

Identify the steps involved in recording a standard 12 lead ECG, including electrode placement and the pre and post-procedure considerations.

We will be covering many of the basics in this week, so if you are a healthcare professional some of this may be a useful refresher for you.